Bombing instrument for targets having transverse motion relative to aircraft flight path

ABSTRACT

In an aircraft bombing instrument for attacks crosswind and against targets moving transversely to the line of flight, a transparent screen in the pilot&#39;&#39;s forward field of vision displays a command symbol and an aircraft situation symbol. A switch actuation initiates a first bombing attack phase in which the display defines a sight axis that can be displaced (according to pilot selection) laterally to either side as well as downwardly relative to the aircraft&#39;&#39;s longitudinal axis. While the pilot maneuvers the aircraft to hold the sight symbol aligned with the target, the instrument computes the aircraft velocity vector relative to the ground. A second switch actuation initiates a second phase during which display and maneuver continues as before and the instrument additionally computes the target&#39;&#39;s position and velocity vector relative to the aircraft. A third switch actuation initiates a final phase in which displacement of the command symbol relative to the situation symbol signifies banking and pull up instructions to the pilot, in following which he flies a curving ground track. During the final phase the instrument computes the point of time and aircraft velocity vector at which a bomb must be released to hit the target and the bank and pull up required to achieve these, controls the command display accordingly, and issues a release impulse at the proper time.

see- 123 SR 1 SEARCH ROOM 39689;!7f1 I United States I ;1 3,689,741 Sjiiberg et al. Sept. 5, 1972 [54] BOMBING INSTRUMENT FOR Primary ExaminerEugene G. Botz TARGETS HAVING TRANSVERSE Assistant ExaminerR. Stephen Dildine, Jr. MOTION RELATIVE TO AIRCRAFT Attmey-ka Milton Jones FLIGHT PATH i [57] ABSTRACT [72] Inventors: Bengt S oberg; Oskar VIberg, both f SAAB Aktiebolag, Linkoping In an aircraft bombing instrument for attacks crosssweden wind and against targets moving transversely to the line of flight, a transparent screen in the pilots for- [22] Flled: July 1970 ward field of vision displays a command symbol and [21] Appl 53,260 an aircraft situation symbol. A switch actuation initiates a first bombing attack phase in which the display defines a sight axis that can be displaced (accord- Foreign pp Data ing to pilot selection) laterally to either side as well as July 9, 1969 Sweden "9717/69 downwardly relative to the aircrafts longitudinal axis.

While the pilot maneuvers the aircraft to hold the 52 US. Cl. .....235/61.S D, 235/615 E, 235/615 s, Sight Symbol aligned the target, the instrument 7 235/1502, 235/150 26 computes the aircraft velocity vector relative to the 51 Int. Cl ..Gd 1/10, G06f /50 ground- A SecOnd Switch actuation initiates a Second [58 Field 61 Search ..235/61 .5 E, 61 .5- D, 61.5 s, Phase during which display and maneuver Cohtihues as 235/1502 15026 before and the instrument additionally computes the target's position and velocity vector relative to the aircraft. A third switch actuation initiates a final phase in 56 R f C'ted 1 e erences l which displacement of the command symbol relative UNITED STATES PATENTS to the situation symbol signifies banking and pull up instructions to the pilot, in following which he flies a 3 curving ground track. During the final phase the in- 301O676 11 1961 i strument computes the point of time and aircraft e ey /15 X velocity vector at which a bomb must be released to 323O349 H1966 Spangenberg et hit the target and the bank and pull up required to achieve these, controls the command display ac- 3,510,636 5/1970 Turboult ..235/l50.2 X cordingly, and issues a release impulse at the proper time.

11 Claims, 23 Drawing Figures PATENTEDsEP smz 3,689,741 sum U10F 17 haven-r015 Bengt E1 11: E' fibsfq skar .Emar Xflber'g BY A TQ NEN PATENTEDSEP 5 I972 NVENTOR$ Ben-gifrzk E E/EEPg Uskar .Emar Vzbarg ATTOR Y PATENTEDSEP 5 I972 V =V COSG MY= V =V SinCL i D1 HE sum as or '17 INVENTORS skar 22155 V'Lb 22 g ATTORN Y PATENTEDsEP 51912 3,689,741

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FIG.18

INVENTORS Bang/E .Erzk E Zi/bEFg skaz .Ez r Viberg EDY ATToR EY This invention relates to aerial bombing instruments of the type that effect automatic release of a bomb from an aircraft at a time when the altitude and velocity vector of the aircraft are such that a bomb released therefrom will follow a trajectory that will bring it to a preselected target, and wherein computation of the release instant is effected on the basis of parameters that can be ascertained at the aircraft, including parameters which define the relationship of the aircraft to the target at an instant during the bombing attack when the pilot of the bombing aircraft discerns that a predetermined sighting axis in the aircraft is aligned with the target and actuates a manual control which in effect identifies the target to the instrument.

Prior bombing instruments for aircraft have required that the aircraft maintain a substantially straight track over the ground during its bombing run. With the advent of the so-called toss bombing instrument of US. Pat. No. 2,609,729 to Wilkenson et al it became possible to accomplish accurate delivery of a bomb to a target from an aircraft that was following a curving flight path; but the curvature of the flight path was in elevation, that is, in changing rates of climb and descent, and all maneuvering was confined to a single vertical plane through the target. Through the years many improvements and modifications were made on the instrument of the pioneer Wilkenson et al patent, adapting it for a variety of bombing maneuver modes so that pilots using such instruments would have more freedom for maneuver within the vertical plane through the target. But all such prior instruments, in requiring a straight ground track, imposed a constraint upon the pilot that tended to compromise his security, for defending forces knew that once he was committed to his bombing run, his position was predictable to the extent that it was within a defined plane, even if his motion within that plane could not be forecast with certainty.

From the standpoint of bombing accuracysuch prior instruments also left something to be desired, since they could not take account of relative movement between the bombing aircraft and the target in directions lateral to the aircraft, and could not afford guidance to the pilot in banking to compensate for a cross wind or for movement of the target transversely to his direction of attack. Because of this limitation, such prior instruments imposed upon the pilot a-practical constraint to plan his attack in a direction parallel to the wind or to the direction of target movement in order to insure bombing accuracy; hence the vertical plane in which his attack would be made was generally predictable by defending forces, who could prepare their defenses accordingly.

Another disadvantage of prior bombing instruments of the character described was that they calculated the velocity vector of the aircraft on the basis of measurements which included a continuous measurement of the angle of relative wind, that is, the aerodynamic angle of attack of the aircraft taken with respect to a longitudinal datum line in the aircraft. Measurements of relative wind did not always afford a correctconception of the flight path of the aircraft relative to the ground, since a vertical gust could be interpreted by such an instrument as an instantaneously changed velocity vector and could thus give rise to an erroneous bomb release impulse.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a bombing instrument which overcomes the above discussed disadvantages of prior devices.

It will be understood that a crosswind bombing run against a stationary target presents essentially the same problem as a bombing attack against a target moving transversely to the flight path of the aircraft at the initiation of the bombing run, in that in both cases the 7' target can be regarded as being in relative transverse motion with respect to the aircraft.

Hence it is another object of this invention to provide an aerial bombing instrument which is adapted to effect automatic release of a bomb at a point in the flight of an aircraft carrying the same at which the bomb will follow a trajectory that terminates at a selected target, and which instrument comprises sight means whereby the pilot is provided with a command indication by which he is enabled to maintain a curving ground track after sighting upon a target that has transverse motion relative to his initial flight course, which curving track compensates for such relative motion of the target.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a bombing instrument whereby the pilot is given substantial freedom of choice of aircraft speed as well as of aircraft flight path during the bombing attack, so that he has a high degree of security against defensive countermeasures.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an aircraft bombing instrument of the character described which can comprise a digital computer.

With these observations and objectives in mind, the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the following description and the accompanying drawings, which are intended to exemplify the invention rather then to define it, the invention being defined by the appended claims.

The accompanyingdrawings illustrate one complete example of an embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the path of an aircraft equipped with a bombing instrument of this invention and the trajectory of a bomb released therefrom in the course of a bombing attack against a moving target;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of an instrument embodying the principles of this invention, illustrated generally in their relation to a bomber aircraft in which the instrument is carried;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of a transparent screen that is within the pilots line of sight, illustrating two arrangements of situation and command indicia that might appear thereon during the aiming and measuring phases of a bombing attack;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views generally similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, but FIG. 5 illustrates a pull-up and banking command given to the pilot during the release phase of an attack and FIG. 6 illustrates the display on the transparent screen when the pilot has obeyed the command depicted in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the data input units and the computer units of the bombing instrument of this invention, showing the signal flow between them during a bomb release calculation;

FIG. 8 is a time sequence block diagram showing a main cycle of the bomb release calculation;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the coordinate system used in the calculations, giving examples of resolutions of vectors used in the calculations;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are more detailed block diagrams illustrating how certain portions of the calculations are carried out in the apparatus generally diagramm'ed in FIGS. 7 and 8;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic side views of bombing'attack flight paths with different angles of sight axis depression;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are other detailed block diagrams illustrating how certain other portions of the calculations are carried out;

FIG. 16 is a view generally similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 but illustrating quantities used in controlling the position of the command symbol during the measuring phase of a bombing attack made with the instrument;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are vector diagrams illustrating vectors of the vector calculations which are performed in the computer of this invention, FIG. 17 being a vertical projection of the vectors and FIG. 18 a horizontal projection;

FIGS. 19, 20, 21 and 23 are further block diagrams illustrating how certain quantities are computed in the instrument; and

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a limitation of the angle of pull up for presentation of the pull up and banking command on the sighting indicator.

INSTRUMENT IN GENERAL Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates an aircraft equipped with a bombing instrument embodying the principles of this invention, which instrument is employed to cause a bomb 15 that is carried by a bomb release mechanism 14 in the aircraft to be released at a point in the aircraft flight path 2 such that the bomb will follow a trajectory that carries it to a preselected target 3. The flight path of the aircraft at the instant of release can be so selected that the aircraft is then maintaining a substantially constant vertical speed, as illustrated in FIG. 13, or is following a downwardly curved path (so-called bunt release) as illustrated in FIG. 12; and the instrument also provides for preselection of a combination of either of these vertical flight paths with either a straight track over the ground or a curving ground track as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The components of the instrument that have interface with the pilot comprise a transparent screen indicator 6, also known as a head up display, a pickle switch 18 which is preferably mounted on the control stick 17 of the aircraft and which serves as an unlocking and tiring switch, and certain manually positionable controls (described hereinafter) located on a control panel 16 that is readily accessible to the pilot.

The indicator 6 comprises a transparent screen 5 mounted in the pilots forward line of sight and upon which are projected certain situation and command indicia. Such indicia thus appear to the pilot to be superimposed upon what he sees outside the airplane when looking forwardly through the windscreen, and he can therefore observe such indicia while maintaining his normal visual field of reference outside the aircraft. The indicia projected onto the screen (see FIGS. 3 and 4) comprise a situation display symbol 20 and a command display symbol 21. The situation display symbol is intended to represent the aircraft in its movement, as seen from the rear, and to this end it comprises a circle 22, representing the fuselage with the longitudinal (x) axis at its center, a pair of generally horizontal lines 23 extending from diametrically opposite sides of the circle and representing the wings, and a line 24 which extends upwardly from the circle, perpendicularly to the lines 23, and which represents the fin. The command display symbol comprises a dot 25 and a pair of parallel generally upright lines 26 spaced equal distances to opposite sides of the dot and symmetrical to it.

The instrument also comprises, certain input devices or receptors, as described hereinafter, a computer 7, and a release impulse generator 13 which, at the appropriate instant, is caused to issue a release impulse to the bomb release mechanism 14.

USE OF THE INSTRUMENT IN A BOMBING ATTACK A bombing attack made with the instrument of this invention can be regarded as comprising three phases:

I a directing phase which corresponds to that part of the flight path 2 that is embraced by the bracket 19in FIG. 1;

II a measuring phase designated by the bracket 26 in FIG. 1; and

III a release phase designated by the bracket 28.

I. DIRECTING PHASE OF ATTACK During the directing phase of the attack the symbols on the transparent screen 5 are utilized by the pilot in accomplishing a preliminary alignment upon and tracking of a selected target, so that the pilot is prepared to continue tracking during the subsequent measuring phase in which data derived from target tracking will be automatically fed into the instruments computer.

Before initiating the directing phase the pilot will make adjustments to instrumentalities on his control panel 16 to set up the instrument for certain variables that can be known in advance of the attack, such as the ballistic characteristics of the particular bomb to be used.

The pilot initiates the directing phase, at the point S, in FIG. 1, by actuating a switch on the control panel 16 which starts the automatic functioning of the instrument. It will be understood that the aircraft is directed generally toward the target at the time of actuation of that switch, and upon its actuation the situation and command symbols are displayed on the screen 5. On the basis of the bombing mode and tactic he intends to employ, the pilot also adjusts controls 16a, 16b, on the control panel 16 (see FIG. 11) to provide for predetermined displacements of the sight axis laterally (in the xy-plane of the aircraft) and vertically (in the xz-plane of the aircraft) from coincidence with, or parallelism to, the longitudinal (x) axis of the aircraft. 

1. A bombing instrument by which a bomb can be accurately released from an aircraft while the same is moving in a curving flight path, and which is of the type comprising means for calculating data concerning the relationship between the aircraft and a selected target during an interval in which a defined sight axis in the aircraft is maintained aligned with the target by maneuvering the aircraft, means for calculating the velocity vector of the aircraft required to impart to a bomb released from the aircraft a trajectory that will terminate in a desired relationship to the target, and means for comparing the prevailing velocity vector of the aircraft with the calculated required velocity vector and for issuing a bomb release impulse when a predetermined relationship exists between said prevailing and required velocity vectors, said bombing instrument comprising: A. calculating means, associated with said means for calculating the required velocity vector and operative continuously from the end of said interval to the instant of bomb release, for calculating the values of bank and pull-up of the aircraft needed for it to attain the required velocity vector within a predetermined time following the end of said interval; and B. means operatively associated with the last mentioned calculating means for issuing command signals corresponding to the calculated values of bank and pull-up, which signals can be utilized to bring the aircraft to the required velocity vector.
 2. The bombing instrument of claim 1 wherein said command symbol issuing means further comprises
 2. means for delineating symbols on said display means that signify required values of bank and pull up.
 2. a command display symbol that denotes a maneuvering instruction to the pilot; B. switch means manually operable to initiate and establish each of three successive conditions of the instrument.
 2. in the third of which the instrument causes the command display symbol to represent maneuvering commands to the pilot, in following which he brings the aircraft to a velocity vector calculated for bomb release at a calculated time; C. means cooperable with the sighting symbol display means, and comprising manually adjustably control means, for effecting a predetermined lateral displacement of the command display symbol so that the sight axis defined thereby during the first and second conditions of the instrument can be at a laterally oblique angle to said longitudinal axis of the aircraft; D. means cooperable with at least certain of the transducers and operative during the first and second conditions of the instrument for automatically calculating
 2. the wind vector; E. means operative during the second and third conditions of the instrument and cooperating with the last mentioned vector calculating means to automatically calculate
 2. the vector of velocity and direction of motion of the target relative to the aircraft; F. means operative in the third condition of the instrument and cooperable with the transducer means for calculating
 2. the velocity vector required for the aircraft at said calculated time, on the basis of the trajectory vector for the bomb released at said time, and
 2. the position vector of the target relative to the aircraft; F. command display means for displaying instructions to the pilot concerning
 2. a required pull up; G. third switch means responsive to manual actuation to place the instrument in a third condition of operation; and H. third calculating instrumentalities rendered operative by actuation of said third switch means and connected with the first and second calculating instrumentalities to receive their outputs and issue outputs corresponding to
 2. the bank and the pull up required to bring the aircraft to the calculated velocity vector within a predetermined time following actuation of the third switch means; I. means for controlling the command display means in accordance with said outputs corresponding to required bank and pull up; and J. means for issuing a bomb release impulse when the aircraft attains the calculated velocity vector.
 2. the velocity vector of the wind, and
 2. the velocity vector of the wind, and
 2. the position vector of the target relative to the aircraft; F. third switch means responsive to manual actuation to place the instrument in a third condition of operation; and G. third calculating instrumentalities rendered operative by actuation of said third switch means and connected with the first and second calculating instrumentalities to receive their outputs, for calculating the values of
 2. the bank and the pull up required to bring the aircraft to the calculated required velocity vector within a predetermined interval following actuation of said third switch means; H. means connected with said third calculating instrumentalities for issuing outputs corresponding to the values calculated by said third calculating instrumentalities so that the aircraft can be caused to assume the required bank and pull-up; and I. means connected with said third calculating instrumentalities and with at least certain of said sensors for issuing a bomb release impulse when the aircraft attains the calculated required velocity vector.
 2. the vectors of velocity and position of the target relative to the aircraft, and
 2. the values of bank and pull-up required to bring the aircraft to said required velocity vector at said predicted instant; F. command means connected with said second computer means for issuing outputs corresponding to said values calculated by the second computer means so that the aircraft can be caused to assume the required bank and pull-up; and G. means connected with at least certain of the transducers and with the second computer means for issuing a bomb release impulse when the aircraft attains said required velocity vector.
 3. a predicted instant at which a bomb is to be released from the aircraft; E. second computer means adapted to be operative during a predetermined interval which terminates at substantially said predicted instant and cooperable with the first computer means and with at least certain of the transducers for calculating
 3. the velocity vector of the aircraft relative to the ground; C. display means within the pilot''s normal range of forward vision defining a sighting axis that has predetermined angular displacements laterally and vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft; D. second switch means responsive to manual actuation to place the instrument in a second condition of operation; E. second calculating instrumentalities rendered operative by actuation of said second switch means and cooperating with sensors and with the first calculating instrumentalities, while the aircraft is maneuvered to maintain alignment upon a target of the sighting axis defined by the display means, to produce additional outputs corresponding to the changing values of 1 the velocity vector of the target, and
 3. the velocity vector of the aircraft relative to the ground; C. display means within the pilot''s normal range of forward vision defining a sighting axis that has predetermined angular displacements laterally and vertically relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft; D. second switch means responsive to manual aCtuation to place the instrument in a second condition of operation; E. second calculating instrumentalities rendered operative by actuation of said second switch means and cooperating with sensors and with the first calculating instrumentalities, while the aircraft is maneuvered to maintain alignment upon a target of the sighting axis defined by the display means, to produce additional outputs corresponding to the changing values of
 3. the rates of pull up and roll required for the aircraft to achieve said required velocity vector at said calculated time; G. means connected with the last named calculating means and with the sighting symbol display means for positioning the command display signal in accordance with the calculated values of required pull up and roll; and H. means for issuing a bomb release impulse at said calculated time.
 3. The bombing instrument of claim 2 wherein said display means comprises a transparent screen within the normal forward field of vision of the pilot of the aircraft, further comprising: D. means for displaying on said transparent screen a symbol which defines said sight axis; and E. manually adjustable mans for so controlling the position of said sight axis symbol that the sight axis defined thereby can have a predetermined inclination, laterally and vertically, to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
 4. Means for defining for the pilot of a weapon carrying aircraft a sighting axis which the pilot can align with a selected target by maneuvering the aircraft and thereby so aim the aircraft that a weapon released therefrom will follow a trajectory that terminates in a desired relationship to the target, said means comprising: A. sight means for displaying within the pilot''s normal forward field of vision a symbol which denotes a point on the sighting axis and which is movable to and from a position corresponding to a predetermined angular relationship of the sighting axis to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft; B. calculating means operatively associated with sensing transducers in the aircraft for calculating the velocity vector of the aircraft relative to the ground and for producing outputs which correspond to the changing values of the calculated velocity vector; and C. means so connecting said calculating means with said sight means as to cause displacement of said symbol from said position in correspondence with divergence of the calculated velocity vector from parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprised: D. means comprising a manually adjustable control for establishing said position in a predetermined laterally divergent relationship to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: D. means comprising a manually adjustable control for establishing said position in a predetermined downwardly divergent relationship to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: E. means comprising a further manually adjustable control for establishing said position in a laterally divergent relationship to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and F. means for limiting the lateral divergence of said position in correspondence with the amount of vertical divergence thereof.
 8. A bombing instrument for a piloted aircraft, for effecting accurate release of a bomb from the aircraft onto a target that has relative motion transversely to the flight path of the aircraft at the beginning of the bombing attack, and which instrument cooperates with transducer means in the aircraft that produce signals corresponding to variables measurable at the aircraft, said bombing instrument comprising: A. sighting symbol display means within the pilot''s normal range of visiOn providing
 9. An instrument for use in making a bombing attack with a piloted aircraft against a target that has a component of relative motion transverse to the flight path of the aircraft at the initiation of the bombing attack, and by which instrument a bomb release impulse in automatically issued when a bomb released from the aircraft will have a trajectory that terminates in a desired relationship to the target, said instrument being cooperable with sensors in the aircraft that produce outputs corresponding to quantities measurable at the aircraft and comprising: A. first switch means responsive to manual actuation to place the instrument in a first condition of operation; B. first calculating instrumentalities rendered operative by actuation of said first switch means and cooperating with sensors to produce outputs corresponding to the changing values of
 10. An instrument for use in making a bombing attack with a piloted aircraft against a target that has a component of relative motion transverse to the flight path of the aircraft at the initiation of the bombing attack, and by which instrument a bomb release impulse is automatically issued when a bomb released from the aircraft will have a trajectory that terminates in a desired relationship to the target, said instrument being cooperable with sensors in the aircraft that produce outputs corresponding to quantities measurable at the aircraft and comprising: A. first switch means responsive to manual actuation to place the instrument in a first condition of operation; B. first calculating instrumentalities rendered operative by actuation of said first switch means and cooperating with sensors to produce outputs corresponding to the changing values of
 11. Means for use in making a bombing attack with a piloted aircraft to enable a bomb to be released from the aircraft along a trajectory that terminates in a desired relationship to a target selected by the aircraft pilot and which target can be one having relative motion transverse to the flight path of the aircraft at the beginning of the bombing attack, said means cooperating with transducers in the aircraft that produce signals corresponding to variables measurable at the aircraft, and said means comprising: A. sighting means for displaying within the pilot''s normal field of vision a sight axis symbol having a predeterminable relationship to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and which the pilot can maintain aligned with a target by maneuvering the aircraft; B. manually adjustable means for displacing said sight axis symbol laterally so that the sight axis defined by the symbol can be at a laterally oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft; C. switch means manually operable by the pilot when the sight axis defined by said symbol is aligned with a selected target; D. first computer means, rendered operative by said switch means and cooperating with the transducers and said manually adjustable means for displacing the sight axis symbol, for calculating 